2016 Postmortem

Capt. Obvious

(9,002 posts) Mon Jun 13, 2016, 10:57 AM Jun 2016

Sanders 'revolution' faces first down-ballot test

“Bernie Sanders competes in his final primary Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., but the real test of his political movement will be underway a few thousand miles west in the Nevada desert. Tuesday also marks the first primary for one of Sanders’ down-ballot endorsees: Lucy Flores, a Las Vegas House candidate whom Sanders called “exactly the kind of person I’m going to need in Congress when I am president” in fundraising emails this spring. Flores’ campaign raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from those emails, powering a late charge to the finish of a Democratic primary featuring three well-funded candidates. While Sanders’ presidential campaign is winding down, he has urged millions of supporters to create a lasting progressive coalition by backing new congressional and state legislative candidates. Flores’ contest kicks off several months of key primaries for Sanders-fueled House candidates, including New York’s Eric Kingson and Zephyr Teachout, Washington’s Pramila Jayapal, and Florida’s Tim Canova, who is challenging Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.”

— “But while Sanders has injected grass-roots enthusiasm and money into Flores’ campaign and others, he is far from the only player in these races, each of which present unique obstacles to Sanders’ big-picture, down-ballot goals.” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is backing state Sen. Ruben Kihuen, while EMILY’s List is supporting philanthropist Susie Lee."

— New Sanders endorsements: Over the weekend, Sanders endorsed a pair of House incumbents who endorsed him for president: Democratic Reps. Rick Nolan (who has a battleground race on his hands) and Marcy Kaptur (who represents a deep-blue Ohio seat). Kaptur has not always had a smooth relationship with progressives; she held out on supporting Obamacare for a long time during the legislative battle over the bill, due to her position on abortion.

....

Politico

10 replies

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Sanders 'revolution' faces first down-ballot test (Original Post) Capt. Obvious Jun 2016 OP

sounds sketchy bigtree Jun 2016 #1

Bernie called for donations for Flores over a month ago. I gave. George Eliot Jun 2016 #3

I was surprised to see two candidates marked Sanders as if he was a party.... bettyellen Jun 2016 #4

I sent money only to candidates Bernie endorsed in his campaign emails. George Eliot Jun 2016 #6

Teachout has also been endorsed by noted Berniecrat ... Chuck Schumer, nt geek tragedy Jun 2016 #2

If he'd support Dems other than those who explicity endorsed him, I might take it more seriously. TwilightZone Jun 2016 #5

I don't know that Flores/Canova endorsed him . . . do you? How did Clinton choose her endorsement? George Eliot Jun 2016 #7

Flores endorsed Sanders in January. TwilightZone Jun 2016 #8

Found it . . . April 13 Politico commentary. She endorsed to Nevada caucus. George Eliot Jun 2016 #9

Nope, this test already happened in Wisconsin's state supreme court race. They failed. BobbyDrake Jun 2016 #10

bigtree

(85,999 posts)

1. sounds sketchy

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Original post)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 12:42 PM

Jun 2016

...and cobbled together as part of a Sanders' revolution as an afterthought.

For a revolution, these should be household names, instead, this is the first presentation of them as a cohesive group and it's not clear if this is the result of the article or the campaign.

George Eliot

(701 posts)

3. Bernie called for donations for Flores over a month ago. I gave.

Reply to bigtree (Reply #1)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 12:55 PM

Jun 2016

Canova and Flores then the others later. I never heard a single candidate that Clinton endorsed or helped. Can you name three? For the record, I gave to all of them. Several times to Flores and Canova because Bernie asked early.

bettyellen

(47,209 posts)

4. I was surprised to see two candidates marked Sanders as if he was a party....

Reply to bigtree (Reply #1)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 12:55 PM

Jun 2016

When I voted last week. Had not heard of them and I have a few close friends who talked about Sanders non-stop. There was another candidate who had signed himself with Sanders early andI had even following and he was running against a "Sanders" candidate. Very confusing.

George Eliot

(701 posts)

6. I sent money only to candidates Bernie endorsed in his campaign emails.

Reply to bettyellen (Reply #4)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:29 PM

Jun 2016

I don't know about others. I hope they weren't trading on his name.

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

2. Teachout has also been endorsed by noted Berniecrat ... Chuck Schumer, nt

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Original post)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 12:53 PM

Jun 2016

TwilightZone

(25,472 posts)

5. If he'd support Dems other than those who explicity endorsed him, I might take it more seriously.

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Original post)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 12:57 PM

Jun 2016

And, if he'd started doing that 25 years ago, he might have done better this year.

George Eliot

(701 posts)

7. I don't know that Flores/Canova endorsed him . . . do you? How did Clinton choose her endorsement?

Reply to TwilightZone (Reply #5)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:34 PM

Jun 2016

Odd that down-ticket dems would "endorse" a sitting senator. Endorse usually moves well known to less well known. Do you really know how he came to endorse the candidates he did? Seems like an assumption.

Twenty-five years ago? I don't think we know much about who was endorsing whom twenty-five years ago.

TwilightZone

(25,472 posts)

8. Flores endorsed Sanders in January.

Reply to George Eliot (Reply #7)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 02:45 PM

Jun 2016

This is public information.

As for others endorsing him, perhaps you should trying reading the article or even just the excerpt in the OP:

"Over the weekend, Sanders endorsed a pair of House incumbents who endorsed him for president:"

As for 25 years ago, the point is that the time to build a political infrastructure isn't 90% of the way through your party's primary process. It's during the political career you have leading up to that primary.

George Eliot

(701 posts)

9. Found it . . . April 13 Politico commentary. She endorsed to Nevada caucus.

Reply to TwilightZone (Reply #8)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:32 PM

Jun 2016

Agree, I missed it in OP.

Did Obama start his infrastructure twenty-five years ago? I'll give Bernie credit for what he was doing twenty-five years ago. Moving from mayor to House to Senate would contribute to and establish a political infrastructure in my opinion. Perhaps we differ on what "political infrastructure" means.

BobbyDrake

(2,542 posts)

10. Nope, this test already happened in Wisconsin's state supreme court race. They failed.

Reply to Capt. Obvious (Original post)

Mon Jun 13, 2016, 03:41 PM

Jun 2016

Over 11% of Sanders voters in WI selected Sanders and zero other Democrats. None. The Republican won the state court seat instead.

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